Dress Up a Hair Tie: Make a DIY No-Sew Scrunchy

Create your own designer hair ties with this quick and easy method for turning any hair elastic (or plain old rubber band if you’re daring) into a fabulous scrunchy! Scrunchies make great party favors, gifts for girls’ sports teams or fun accessories for any occasion. Cute scrunchies are useful and always add a note of celebration – even for grown ups! Adding a scrunchy to a bridal shower goodie bag, making them for bride’s maids or crocheting enough for a spa day or girl’s night are all clever ways to give handmade scrunchies as gifts.

Materials:

• Hair elastic/rubber band. Any elastic that works well in your hair will work well for this project.
• Crochet hook. Try using a hook slightly larger than you usually would with the yarn of your choice. You want volume in this project with  looser stitches.
• Yarn of choice. I’ll be demonstrating how to create these stitches with a strand of Vanna’s Choice so you can easily see the stitches. But scrunchies like these are extra special in novelty yarns like Vanna’s Glamour, Fun Fur or Martha Stewart Crafts Glitter Eyelash.

1) Secure slip knot on your crochet hook, insert it through the hair tie and yarn over. you now have yarn looped over your hook twice, and the hair tie snug between them. Yarn over again, and pull through the two loops on your hook. Your yarn is now securely fastened to your hair tie!

2) Chain three more stitches (counts as first stitch).

3) Make one double crochet around the hair tie – yarn over, then instead of inserting your hook into a stitch, you’ll insert it through the hair tie. Yarn over and pull through two loops, then Yarn over again and pull through the last two loops, creating a complete double crochet stitch.

4) Chain 1.

5) Continue the double crochet, chain one pattern around the hair tie till the stitches are fairly dense around the relaxed/unstretched elastic. The more stitches you work, the larger your scrunchy will look. Don’t stretch the elastic to accommodate more stitches – this can lead to your scrunchy being less effective. The ruffle effect will grow naturally because of the density of stitches and the extra volume created by the chain stitch between each double crochet stitch.

6) When you have crocheted all the way around, join your final with a slip stitch to the topmost chain of your first stitch. Knot tightly and secure.

7) Wear your new scrunchy in style!

This craft is great for thick, fine, curly or textured hair, making it a perfect fast-finish project to make with a group or to give as group gifts!

Have you ever given cute DIY projects like this one as party favors? What small projects do you like to make for yourself & others? Leave a comment below to share your story (we’d love to hear it!).

Related Links:

• 7 Tips for Teaching Kids How to Knit or Crochet
• Crafty and Creative: Blogs That’ll Keep You Craving for More
• 5 Tips for Crafting Outside in the Spring and Summer
• How to Make Bracelets with Yarn
• How to Make a Pom-Pom Out of Yarn